Mile High Report
After a long wait, the Denver Broncos have kicked off their 2025 training camp sessions. Mile High Report’s Christopher Hart gives you three major storylines to watch for with respect to the team’s defense.
Earlier today, I wrote about three storylines on offense to watch for during training camp for the Denver Broncos. For this article, let’s take that discussion to the opposite side of the ball. Here are three storylines I’m looking forward to watching over the course of training camp with respect to the defense. Feel free to give some of your top storylines to keep an eye on in the comments section.
Just how good can the Broncos’ secondary be in 2025?
When the Broncos traded Clinton Portis to the Washington Redskins for Champ Bailey and a second-round draft selection, Mike Shanahan finally acquired a true shutdown corner after years of searching. While Bailey never earned a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos, his pass defending prowess earned him enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Since then, a top-flight cornerback has been a mainstay in the team’s secondary over the years. Players like Aqib Talib, Chris Harris, Jr. and now Patrick Surtain II, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, became household names and premier players at the position. Broncos Country has been incredibly blessed to witness such high-profile players locking down opposing team’s wide receivers.
I have a feeling this secondary this season is going to be much better than last season. In addition to Surtain, the Broncos are also set to bring back Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, and Kris Abrams-Draine at cornerback. That’s a good core four of corners, but they also added versatile defensive back Jahdae Barron into the fold via the 2025 NFL Draft.
Last year’s Jim Thorpe Award winner, Barron has the ability to play both inside and out in Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense. While everyone is talking about Evan Engram’s role as a ‘joker’ on offense, Barron could very well be one of the team’s most versatile defenders in coverage as a rookie due to his ball skills and versatility. If he makes an impact for the team in year one, opposing offenses are going to have a tough time moving the ball consistently against Denver’s defense.
Let’s not forget about the safeties. Last year the team struck gold adding Brandon Jones at safety to replace long-time veteran Justin Simmons. He was one of the best free agent additions of any team last offseason. This free agency cycle, the Broncos added Talanoa Hufanga to start alongside him. Though injuries have marred his past two seasons, Hufanga was once an All-Pro player. If he can revert to prior form, the Broncos may just have one of the best safety duos in the NFL.
In the past decade, the Broncos have fielded a lot of quality secondaries. The No-Fly Zone comes to mind as one of the all-time best in league history. It might be bold, but I think the...
